Ezekiel Elliott's 6-Game Suspension Back On ... For Now

In what could be a major blow to the Dallas Cowboys, Ezekiel Elliott, the team's star running back, had his six-game suspension reinstated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

But the NFL investigated it for 13 months and commissioner Roger Goodell handed Elliott a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy on August 11.

The NFL has requested for a stay of the injunction that is allowing Elliott to play. The Cowboys, who have a record of 2-3, are on their bye week. They next play October 22 at San Francisco. Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden stand to fill in for Elliott if the suspension is upheld. If it imposed immediately, he would be eligible to return for Dallas's November 30 game against the rival Redskins.

The ruling came after oral arguments were conducted last week in New Orleans before a three-judge panel of the court.

The league concluded after a lengthy investigation that Elliott was guilty of violence in a series of incidents previous year involving his former girlfriend. Authorities in Columbus, Ohio, did not charge Elliott with a crime. In the words of the Dallas Morning News' Katie Hairopoulos, the National Football League "wins this round", but Elliott will seek a new injunction from the Southern District of NY. In a letter sent to Elliott informing him of suspension in August, the National Football League stated it believed he used physical force against Thompson three times over a span of five days in July 2016.

As a result, both Elliott and the NFLPA may now need to file for another injunction in Southern District of NY in order for the second-year running back to continue playing. The league's headquarters is in Manhattan, not Texas, and other cases, including the fight between the league and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, were heard in that court.